If you're in the mood to down some cold ones and cheer your favorite sports team on TV, then this neighborhood haunt will be your happy place. Going strong since 1952, Stan's is always hopping thanks to daily drink specials, and a host of weekly events�— ranging from game watching parties to trivia and karaoke. And did we mention that there's around 100 types of bottled beer and over 50 different options on tap? Oh, and they churn out decent food, too. Expect to find everything from fried pickles and mini corn dogs to burgers and sandwiches, most of which can be had for under $10. Speaking of cheap eats, come here on Monday when you can score Aunt Sue's spaghetti and meatballs for only $6.99.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: Stan's is a favorite spot for university students and sports fans alike.
Ilene's expert tip: In addition to daily drink specials, Stan's offers Happy Hour, Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.
This rustically-chic California transplant has everything you could ask for in a gastropub�—a laid-back vibe, upscale bites and great libations. We're talking stellar cocktails (think: build your own mules and spicy pineapple margaritas), wine and a rotating selection of craft beer, plus burgers (all ground in-house) sandwiches, salads and charcuterie plates. And what's a gastropub without a beer garden and games like shuffleboard? The daily happy hour deals on food and booze aren't too shabby either. Wait, there's more: they also boast a 70s retro-style cocktail lounge called the Wah Wah Room next door. No wonder this place is popular.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: Laurel Tavern is where to go when you want to chill out with friendly folks.
Ilene's expert tip: Score deals on drinks and food (think $5 cocktails, $9 cheese boards and $6 fried chicken sliders) during Happy Hour, Tuesday-Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m.
This sports bar-slash-restaurant has your game day action covered with tons of flat screens streaming every possible sports network available. But you don't have to be a sports fan to get into the spirit here. Along with a kitchen cranking out Creole-fusion fare (think andouille pizzas and fried shrimp BLTs), the bar offers around 20 beers on tap as well as wine and tasty tipples like mint juleps and metro mules. Bonus perks include drink and food specials every night of the week, plus live music on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: 504 Bar & Grill is a terrific place to eat, drink and watch sports.
Ilene's expert tip: Drink and food specials are on offer during Happy Hour, Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For those who like options, Leela's Raw Bar & Abv Establishment offers two vastly different bars under one roof. On the first level, you've got a narrow, white brick-lined space featuring craft cocktails, beer, thirty-five wines on tap, and a small selection of sharable bites in the form of raw oysters, tuna nachos and charcuterie/cheese boards. Meanwhile, perched above Leela's lies Abv Establishment, a moodily lit cocktail den capturing a speakeasy vibe with dark wood, plush furnishings and prohibition-style sips like the El Jimador with yellow Chartreuse, agave, lime, egg white and mint. Can't decide which place to hunker down in? No worries, you can bring your drinks wherever you wish within the building. Keep an eye out for live jazz on Thursday evenings.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: For those who like options, Leela's and Abv offers something for every discerning drinker.
Ilene's expert tip: Score $7 cocktails; $5 house wine; $3 beer and $2 oysters during Leela's Happy Hour, Monday-Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. ABV also offers Happy Hour Tuesday �— Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Friday �— Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Trendy bars are fun and all, but sometimes you just want to let it all hang out without the pretension. Enter Single Wide, a delightfully dive-y haunt that embraces the trailer park culture to a T. Wall-to-wall clutter? A plethora of taxidermy animal heads? Year-round Christmas decor? Yep, it's all here as well as ridiculously cheap drink concoctions like frozen Yoo-Hoo Yee-Haws, Boone's Farm martinis and Tang infused margaritas. Plus they deliver a host of weekly events, ranging from live music and guest DJ nights to bingo and Sunday karaoke complete with Slim Jim Bloody Marys.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: Single Wide is one of the quirkiest watering holes in the city.
Ilene's expert tip: Single Wide offers $3 wells and domestic beers during Happy Hour every weekday from 4 to 8 p.m. Check Facebook for more drink specials and weekly events.
If your idea of a good night includes knocking back a cold one, playing a game of darts and catching the latest Premier League match on TV, then look no further than the Dubliner, a welcoming, no-frills Irish pub, that's actually owned and operated by a Dublin native. There's Guinness on tap, Irish and Scottish whiskey, an impressive selection of craft beer plus a knock-out menu of pub grub like meatball sandwiches, pizzas, curry fries and shepherd's pie. And you'd be hard pressed to find a better place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, where they go all out with Irish tunes and Irish classics like corn beef & cabbage and Guinness beef stew.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: The Dubliner is the best place to catch rugby and soccer matches.
Ilene's expert tip: The Dubliner offers Happy Hour all day on Monday, and Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. There's also $5 bloody Mary and mimosa specials on Sundays.
While many bars lay claim to being a dive, this cozy, nautical-themed watering hole is the real deal. And it has all the essential divey prerequisites to prove it. From the year-round Christmas decor and duct-taped booths to its killer jukebox churning out classic Motown and country tunes, Ships Lounge has remained the same since opening its padded blue door back in 1954. It's this no-frills, low-keyed vibe that keeps everyone, from twentysomething hipsters to working stiffs and old-timers, coming back for more. Check out their Facebook page to find out about drink specials and events such as free pool days and DJ nights.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: The Ships Lounge is the oldest and most popular dive bar in Dallas.
Ilene's expert tip: Weekly specials include $2 domestic beers every Tuesday; $5 top shelf liquor every Wednesday; $3 wells every Thursday, and $4 Jameson Irish Whiskey every Sunday. Note that the bar only stays open until midnight.
This Greenville Avenue stalwart offers a stellar brew count that runs the gamut from local crafts on tap to imported ales and lagers. And it doesn't skip a beat with its selection of wines, infused spirits and signature craft cocktails. But libations aren't the only draw-- the food is worthy of a visit too. Expect to chow down on everything from cheese boards and burgers to seitan tacos and braised short ribs. Another reason to come? There is something going on almost every day of the week, ranging from Texas beer & wine Wednesdays and Thursday pint nights to special tappings, pairing dinners, game-watching parties and live music.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: The Libertine is one of the popular gastropubs in Dallas.
Ilene's expert tip: Libertine offers Happy Hour ($1 off all drinks $5 small plates & select classic cocktails) Monday- Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Tucked in next to the historic Granada Theater, this rustic, wood-clad restaurant and beer garden turns out excellent farm-to-table fare along with an impressive selection of wine, beer, spirits and craft cocktails. All of which is on offer at refreshingly friendly prices, which is probably why it's one of the most popular hang-outs along Greenville Avenue. Not to mention, there's an enormous rooftop patio, and free live music (think rock, folk, funk, R& B and hip-hop)on offer six nights a week. Keep an eye out for movie nights and popular TV show screenings too.
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: Sundown, as well as its sibling the Granada, are the best places to catch live music in the neighborhood.
Ilene's expert tip: Sundown offers Happy Hour from 5-7p.m. every day. Sign up for the newsletter to find out about more daily drink and food specials
Featured on the Travel Channel's "101 More Amazing Places to Chowdown," this 15,000-square-foot playground of food trucks, flatbeds and mismatched lawn furniture is the perfect spot for an alfresco party. Not only can you chow down on everything from Philly cheese-steaks to Korean barbecue, Cuban sandwiches, tacos and lobster rolls, you can also booze it up with craft cocktails, draft beer and wine on tap. And to mix things up a bit, the Yard hosts everything from beer tappings and game watching parties to weekly live music on a flatbed truck stage. Oh, and did we mention they have a bar in a tree-house too?
Recommended for Greenville Avenue's Best Bars because: The Truck Yard is one of the coolest open-air spots in Dallas for drinking, eating and partying.
Ilene's expert tip: Truck Yard features live music on Friday from 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 2-5 p.m. Note that it is 21+ after 9 p.m.